Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lid and cup containers utilized in food packaging. Specifically, the present invention relates to a frozen dessert container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packaging has progressed from being solely a containment means for a particular product to being the primary means for marketing a product. This progression now demands that every possible space on a package be utilized for marketing. However, fabrication techniques might render such use of space for marketing either technologically or economically unfeasible.
In the packaging of ice cream, the industry has been unable to overcome this problem. Specifically, in the packaging of ice cream in cups with lids, the industry has been unable to utilize a portion of the lid for advertising, and has been for the most part locked into using a circular cup for the packaging of ice cream in cups. The reason for this limitation to a circular cup is the fact that the lid may only be manufactured in an efficient manner as a circular lid.
In a typical process, the lid is manufactured from a spiral wound tube where three strips of paper are glued and tightly wound together to form a rim portion of the lid. Then, a circular disc is xe2x80x9cpunchedxe2x80x9d into the rim portion and glued thereto. This fabrication process limits the lid to having a circular cross-section.
In order to overcome this problem in a cost effective manner, the use of plastic rims have been put forth by the industry which allow for various shapes. However, these plastic rims do not overcome the problem with the need to utilize the space for marketing, plastic rims are more costly than paperboard rims, and plastic rims must be separated from the disc before recycling of the material. Also, the cup of these type of containers often has a flared curl which causes sealing problems.
Another concern with lids is the strength and support of the lid, and more specifically the engagement between the disc and the rim. Although the circumferential flange of the disc is glued to the rim, this does not always provide adequate strength to prevent the disc from becoming disengaged from the rim during processing.
Still another concern with current frozen dessert containers is leakage occurring during the filling process wherein a viscous product is placed into the cup, the lid is placed thereon, then the container is inverted for freezing. If the lid-cup seal is inadequate, the product will leak before freezing.
Additionally, in rectangular type containers for frozen desserts, product in the corners of the rectangular or square containers is difficult to remove and often is wasted. Another problem with these type of containers is the gripping or handling of the container with one hand.
The present invention resolves the problems of the prior art by providing a novel frozen dessert container which provides greater sealability, cost effective printability on the rim of the lid, thicker rims and variations in the shape of the container.
One aspect of the present invention is a frozen dessert container having a lid and a cup. The lid has a rim and a disc attached thereto. The rim has a curled top portion forming an edging, a central portion and a inwardly folded bottom portion thereby creating an annular recess. The disc has a perimeter portion inserted into the annular recess for attachment between the disc and the rim. The lid may be coated with polyethylene, or another polymer material (for barrier or strength properties), which allows for heat sealing between matched surfaces. The configuration of the lid will substantially match that of the cup. This configuration may be circular or non-circular. A preferred configuration is a super-ellipse.
Another aspect of the present invention is a non-circular frozen dessert container composed of fiberboard material. The rim and disc form a three-layer boundary for greater support and protection of the product therein.
Another aspect of the present invention is a container composed of fiberboard material having a snap-on lid. The top edging of the cup is such that it mates with an annular channel of the lid to allow for the snap-on feature which provides extended resealability to the container.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a frozen dessert container having a lid and cup where the lid may be printed with text or artwork in a cost effective manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frozen dessert container composed of fiberboard material having a non-circular configuration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a frozen dessert container having a snap-on lid.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a dessert container having a larger print area than containers of the prior art.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a frozen dessert container composed of a single material thereby facilitating recycling of the material.
Having briefly described this invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.